Because this is a sentiment that is surely timely.
In addition to singing, I’m playing bass on this one. I tried chugging along with the guitar but it sounded just terrible, so the guitars on this one are courtesy of UJAM, and some MIDI programming on my part for the solo.
Also, I wasn’t intentionally trying for a Tom Petty-like drawl, but damn it’s hard to sing a Tom Petty song without one, so here we are. I hope wherever he is in the universe right now, Tom is not rolling his eyes too hard about it.
Marblehead is like many Massachusetts towns struggling to balance state-level housing mandates with local implementation. That balancing act has resulted in the town finding a way to technically comply with the MBTA Communities Act while functionally avoiding the construction of any new housing. The town’s creative response meets the requirements of the state mandate by placing most of the zoning capacity on a golf course, where housing is unlikely to ever be built.
Standing at the microphone, hoodie sleeves pushed up, David Modica saw through all the technical “creativity,” recognized what was really happening, and posed this question:
Trying not to think of you yet your face colors every contour of my mind. And every way I turn inside of a minute I collide with your laughter. I am wind, and you are chimes.
Группа геологов примерно в конце 60х отправляется в экспедицию что-то там искать. Командир и его заместитель - земляки, но в детстве друг друга не знали. Незадолго до выхода командир группы Алексей узнает нехорошую информацию о семье своего заместителя Бориса и своей семье - оказывается в войну между ними был конфликт на национальной почве. Территория была под оккупацией, тогда все и произошло.
Старший брат Алексея был тогда семилетним ребенком и старший брат Бориса чем-то его обидел. Старший брат Алексея в отместку громко выкрикнул то-то насчет связей семьи обидчика с партизанами, услышали неприятные люди, расспросили его "как следует" и в итоге семья Бориса была уничтожена. Борис в то время уже пару лет жил в совсем в другом месте, не в оккупации, тем и спасся. Но он ничего не знал об этой истории и исходя из того, что было известно окружающим, винил в гибели семьи отца. Основания были. Ну и враги сожгли родную хату, чоуж.
Перед отправлением Алексея в экспедицию его старший брат по пьяни - а он непросыхающий алкаш - рассказал ему о своей роли в гибели семьи Бориса. Подрос и понял, оттого и запил.
Во время экспедиции Борис сурово накосячил и скрыл свой косяк от товарищей, думая исправить ситуацию самостоятельно. Не получилось, косяк вскрылся, но из-за этого чуть все не погибли, кто-то получил травму. В числе прочего, Алексей на Бориса предсказуемо наорал, что нельзя скрывать серьезные проблемы от своих, опасно же. До конца экспедиции отношение к Борису всех остальных было сами понимаете какое. Сам Борис вину признал и мучился угрызениями совести.
Через некоторое время по окончании экспедиции Алексей и Борис - а они продолжали работать вместе - одновременно оказались в родной деревне, встретились с друзьями детства и за бутылкой кто-то внезапно упомянул роль старшего брата Алексея в гибели семьи Бориса. Оказывается, в деревне это не было таким уж секретом. Борис хватает что ближе лежит - вроде, топор - и бросается к дому старшего брата Алексея. Алексей его догоняет, происходит страшная драка, по итогам Борис инвалид - руку спасли, но работает она плохонько.
Является ли в этой истории Алексей лицемером? Когда он выговаривал Борису за косяк, он сам скрывал важное от Бориса. Если бы он рассказал ему раньше, и не в деревне, где продолжал жить его старший брат, то понятное дело, винить ребенка глупо, семилетка не мог понимать, во что выльются его выкрики, трезвый Борис это бы понял. У него было бы время переварить информацию вдали от "виновника".
С другой стороны - родной брат же! Вины ребенка нет, мертвых не поднять, какой смысл ворошить былое.
Кто из двоих тут мудак и почему (а, может, оба, или никто).
49,000 California residents of the area get their power from California-based Liberty Utilities, who get their power from Nevada-based NV Energy, and come May 2027, NV is going to start sending its power to data centers because it can make more money.
Lake Tahoe is an Alpine lake that is divided by the California/Nevada border, most of it on the California side. It looks to me like most of the residents are on the western/California side.
California regulators can't do much because it's a Nevada utility. Nevada won't do much of anything because it's California residents that have the problem and thus is not their voters/tax-payersresponsibility.
From the article, emphasis mine: "However, NV Energy representatives pushed back on the idea that data centers are the main culprit behind the decision to stop supplying energy to the Lake Tahoe community, telling Fortune that it was part of a long-term transition predating the AI boom. After NV Energy initially sold its California assets to Liberty in 2009, it struck a series of temporary agreements to keep providing power to Lake Tahoe until Liberty could secure another energy supplier.
Now, for whatever reason, NV Energy has decided it cannot keep extending such agreements. That leaves Liberty scrambling to find a new energy supplier as it plans to offer a replacement contract for any bidders capable of meeting California’s renewable energy requirements." *cough* more money from data centers *cough*
Я раскрутил крышку компьютера, раздвинул компоненты, достал старый сломавшийся жесткий диск, установил новый на 18TB (даже странно, что бывают такие числа), пропылесосил все внутри. Установил новый монитор вместо старого, который глючить начал. Переподключил все, соптимизировал кабели, убрал их со стола. Протер клавиатуру. Выбросил тонну бумаг и бумажек со стола, вытер.
Отформатировал новый диск.
И вот сижу такой, перед новым сияющим экраном, за просторным столом с чистой клавиатурой и с новым диском на 18Tb и хочется думать, будто все возможно
It’s fair to say that Pamela Ribon and I have come up together in the world. Back in the before times, she and I both started blogging when blogs were still called “online journals,” and our first novels came out close to each other. Since then she’s become a force in animation, working on story and screenplays for Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet and the animated short My Year of Dicks, for which she received an Oscar nomination, which is pretty damn cool, if you ask me. For a quarter of a century now we’ve stayed friends, supported each other, and celebrated our successes.
Pamela went to high school in Texas, which is where she participated in the UIL One Act Play, the largest theatrical competition in the world. Students and their teachers (22,000 of them!) enter a timed theatrical performance judged on acting and tech, watched by an audience of students and parents, three judges, and a 103-page rule book. Pamela turned her filmmaker eye to one year of the competition, following several schools across the state as they fought their way through the ranks— with all the tears and triumphs and, yes, drama, that entails. That’s now become a film, called, sensibly enough, One Act.
The filming of One Act is done, and now comes the post-production phase, where the film is edited, scored and otherwise made ready for festivals and public presentation, in time for the UIL One Act Play’s 100th anniversary. That takes money, and Pamela and her team could use some help with that. This is where we come in: The Scalzi Family Foundation has pledged $5,000 in matching funds to encourage folks to make a (tax deductible!) donation to help One Act get over its own finish line in post-production. Any amount you donate will be matched by the SFF, up to that $5k (although hopefully they will bring in more than that).
We’re supporting One Act not just because Pamela is a filmmaker worth supporting, but because we think this could be an important film. It brings a spotlight to a part of Texas life that isn’t well-known outside of its borders, and shows a part of the life of the state that can be surprising, and challenging, to outsiders. The UIL One Act competition inspires young creative folks, and changes lives, and that’s a story that’s worth telling, and making a really cool film about.
If this sounds like a film that you would like to help support getting into theaters, here’s the link to One Act’s site, which includes information on how to donate. Again, in the US, these are tax-deductible donations, so that’s pretty nifty. Every donation for the first $5k is matched by the Scalzi Family Foundation, so please feel free to spend our money with yours. We want you to, in fact.
(Also, if you feel like being a big-time donor, like in the five-figure range and above, which comes with its own tier of recognition, there’s contact information on the linked page where you can inquire about that. Go on, do it! You know you want to!)
I’m super proud of Pamela for making this film, and for everything she’s done, and happy the Scalzi Family Foundation can help to get this film that much closer to release. I hope you’ll be inspired to come along for this journey as well.
🔹 Що все це разом означає Подивімось на хронологію одного тижня: ✅ Мендель дає інтерв'ю з наративами, вигідними одночасно проросійській пропаганді і внутрішній опозиції ✅ НАБУ/САП вручають підозру Єрмаку — людині, яка була головним комунікатором України з Вашингтоном ✅ Публічне засідання з прямою трансляцією, де прокурор розповідає про гадалку — деталь без доказового значення для суду, але ідеальна для Fox News ✅ Дмітрієв і Росія синхронно підхоплюють "корупція в Україні" ✅ Червінський — підозрюваний, підтримуваний Порошенком — з'являється в залі суду без процесуального статусу ✅ Лахно — захисник Азовсталі, який раніше вже засвітився на суді у справі забудовниці Молчанової — кидає яйце і публікує кайданки в Instagram
Кожен елемент окремо можна пояснити. Всі разом — в одному тижні, в одному напрямку — це системний тиск на вищу владу держави у момент, коли ця держава веде переговори, виходить на ринок зброї і потребує максимальної внутрішньої єдності. Є реальна справа під цим шоу? Можливо. Єрмак міг реально щось відмивати — і справа від цього не стає менш реальною. Але спосіб, яким все це розгортається — публічно, яскраво, в ідеально вибраний момент — переконує в одному: мета не вирок у суді. Мета — ефект тут і зараз. І поки Україна витрачає ресурси на внутрішній театр — хтось дуже добре розуміє механіку того, що відбувається. І залишається поза кадром.
ЗЫ: это то что называется переборщили. Не будь совершенно непристойного интервью Юлии Мендель Такеру Карлсону, я бы и внимания не обратила, внутренние дела Украины, то-се.
Но это отчетливо — НЕ внутренние дела, здесь костлявая лапа и тлетворный запах Москвы чувствуется за версту.
Today is cloudy, mild, and damp. It seems to have drizzled earlier.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 5/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 5/16/26 -- I sowed sunflower seeds gathered 10-8-25 along the south edge of the east-west strip in the prairie garden. That's the end of that envelope of seeds, and also all the sunflower planting in the prairie garden. \o/
The sun has come out somewhat, but the air is warm and humid. :P
I've seen more sparrows and house finches at the hopper feeder, along with a grackle.
EDIT 5/16/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 5/16/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 5/16/26 -- I planted the water jug of partial shade flowers in the forest garden. I planted the water jug of 20th Anniversary wildflowers in the middle north-south strip of the prairie garden. Of the various jug experiments (fruit trees, native grasses, native wildflowers, and mixes) the mixes were by far the most successful as something out of the batch always grew. I do have two surviving tree seedlings and a couple of milkweed seedlings.
EDIT 5/16/26 -- I trimmed grass around the support wire for the telephone pole, added fresh topsoil around it, then sowed cypress vine seeds.
It's been drizzling off and on today, so I haven't gotten a lot done, but I managed some things.
One thing I did on this trip was bring along some permanent markers and ask my friends and their kids to write or draw on my raincoat. The result is a wonderful memento that I've already had occasion to use.
Here are two of L and R's kids doing some decorating.
And here's what the back of the raincoat looks like now:
And one sleeve:
The second-oldest of L and R's kids also gave me this, which I LOVE. I know my kids made things like this in school--I think it's a wonderful activity. This one isn't quite finished: it only goes down as far as the Department of Amazonas (equivalent of a US state), and interestingly, for places in Amazonas, she doesn't include her own town/city, Leticia. It does show Puerto Nariño, a town up the river a bit.
Mi lugar en el mundo/my place in the world (click through to Flickr to see it at a larger size--only possible with this photo; the others are sited here on DW and don't get any larger)
When commencement speaker Anil Kochhar told graduating students of North Carolina State University's Wilson College of Textiles that he and his wife, Marilyn, would pay off all their final year student loans, the crowd erupted in applause and tears. The gift honored Kochhar's father, who traveled from Punjab, India in 1946 to study at North Carolina State as the second Indian student ever enrolled at the university. He "could not have known where that journey would lead," Kochhar remarked in his speech on May 8, 2026. For fashion and textile management major Alyssa D'Costa, the gesture was immediately life-changing: "As a daughter of immigrants, this money helps me and my family a lot, and I’m really fortunate to have an opportunity like this." What began as a typical graduation ceremony became something far more rare -- a moment when one generation's gratitude opens doors for the next, reminding students that they were "connected by the same spirit of possibility" that brought Kochhar's father to Raleigh, North Carolina nearly 80 years ago.
A typical symphony concert has three works, two of them fairly long. This potpourri of a concert had eight works, all of them pretty short. The unifying gimmick was that they were all in some way referents to time. The keynote work of the program, probably the longest selection, and definitely the best-played, was Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours." I also enjoyed a piece by frequent South Bay contributor Ron Miller, "Overture to a Summer Afternoon," a rondo featuring a bustling American modernist recurring theme. Miller is not usually this good. Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" was played OK, but somewhat clunkier, and "Sunrise" from Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite" was squeaky. The grinding conclusion to the program was a suite from the music to the Back to the Future films, which meant nothing to me as I've completely forgotten the first one and never saw any of the others. Less imitation John Williams than imitation Elmer Bernstein, it was loud, crass, and extremely repetitious. B. who plays viola in this orchestra was not happy with this mixed bag program and especially not with this piece.
Companies are monitoring workers not just for productivity but for agreeability.
The bad news is that software now purports to glean insights into the depths and vagaries of human emotion using AI, and it is coming to watch you. If it isn’t already: Morphcast, for example, has licensed its technology to a mental-health app, a program that monitors schoolchildren’s attention, and McDonald’s, which launched a promotional campaign in Portugal that scanned app users’ faces and offered them personalized coupons based on their (supposed) mood. It is one of many, many such companies doing similar work—the industry term is emotion AI or sometimes affective computing.
Back in 1984, the roleplaying came Paranoia came out. The primary antagonist was The Computer. It was always spying on people, and if they didn't look happy enough, The Computer became suspicious and sent Troubleshooters (the player characters) after them. Or each other. "Your job as a Troubleshooter is to hunt down mutants and members of secret societies. You are a mutant. You are also a member of a secret society. Won't this be fun?" It was amusing at the time, but it's far too much like modern life to be fun anymore. :( That memory of people faking happiness to minimize the risk of further abuse in a dystopia stuck with me. And now here we are.
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